George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital

Site

Now Open

In July 1863, a thriving family farm was suddenly transformed as the Union 11^th Corps converted the property to a field hospital for more than 1,900 wounded soldiers.

Today, the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital stands as one of the best surviving examples of a corps-level field hospital used during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Meticulously renovated, the site features restored, original buildings from the 1863 battle to inspire and explore:

• The stone farmhouse where George Spangler, his wife Elizabeth and four children lived. The family chose to remain during the battle and ongoing field hospital activities, with all six family members moved to just one room of their house.
• The Pennsylvania bank barn served as the hospital where soldiers from both sides received care.
• The summer kitchen used by the family during the warm Pennsylvania summers. Although records are unclear, the building is reportedly the spot where Confederate General Lewis A. Armistead died from wounds he received during Pickett’s Charge.

The site, with living history programming, is open to visitors Friday-Sunday through August 9, 2020. Admission to the site is free with purchase of a ticket to Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center programs and access to the site is free with a Friends of Gettysburg membership. 

NOTE: Following suggested health and safety guidelines, living history programming and encampments are not available for Summer 2020.

Significance

Why visit the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital?

Walk the grounds, hear the stories and feel the emotions of life–and death–at this historic site forever changed by battle.

Docents provide insight and accounts of experiences on the farm in July 1863:

• A family forever altered as their farm suddenly transforms from home to hospital.
• Surgeons and caregivers desperately providing for the wounded amid the chaos of battle.
• Soldiers experiencing the horrors of war and the humanity of everyday citizens.

 

Story

A family farm.

A strategic location.

A battlefield hospital.